Burlington's mayor and police chief agree that they want to make it a "sanctuary city" to help worried immigrant populations

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Updated: 12:59 PM EST Jan 4, 2017

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WEBVTT
CE CHIEFS
ACROSS THE
COUNTRY ARE
RE-AFFIRMING
THEIR
SANCTUARY
STATUS --
FOLLOWING
PRESIDENT-
ELECT DONALD
TRUMP'S WIN
LAST WEEK.
AND
BURLINGTON
OFFICIALS HAVE
DECICED TO JOIN
THE MOVEMENT.
IN SANCTUARY
CITIES, LOCAL
LAW
ENFORCEMENT
OFFICIALS DON'T
ASK ABOUT
IMMIGRATION
MATTERS DURING
POLICE
ENCOUNTERS.
BURLINGTON IS
CURRENTLY
NOT A
"SANCUTARY
CITY"... BUT--
MAYOR
WEINBERGER
SAID IN A
STATEMENT THE
CITY HAS LONG
PURSUED
SANCTUARY
STATUS.
HE STRESSES
THE
IMPORTANTANCE
OF ENSURING
THE CITY IS A
WELCOMING AND
INCLUSIVE PLACE
FOR ALL
BACKGROUNDS
AND IDENTITIES.
CHIEF BRANDON
DEL POZO
AGREED, SAYING
THESE TYPES OF
PRACTICES HAVE
LONG BEEN A
PART OF THE
DEPARTMENT.
AND IT'S
IMPORTANT
EVERYONE IN A
CITY FEELS
COMFORTABLE
REPORTING
CRIMES WITHOUT
WORRYING
ABOUT
DEPORTATION.
IN LIGHT OF THE
NATIONAL
CONVERSATION --
THE MAYOR SAYS
HE'S COMMITTED
CONVERSATION --
THE MAYOR SAYS
HE'S COMMITTED
TO WORKING
WITH THE CITY
COUNCIL TO
FORMALIZE IT.
--AND MEMBERS
OF MIGRANT
JUSTICE THINK
IT'S A BIG STEP IN
THE RIGHT
DIRECTION..
it's a message of
hope in the middle
of a lot of stuff is
happening and it
reminds us that a
lot more cities need
to be diong this and
we need to as
citizens stand
behind the mayor
and support him
"our work will be to
continue our
struggle for our
rights the one that
we have been
doing for so many
years and with that
will be changing the
way that people
think and even the
way he thinks,
trump that is"
THE MEMBERS
OF MIGRANT
JUSTICE SAY
THEY
APPRECIATE THE
MAYOR HAS
DECIDED TO
RENEW THIS
EFFORT AND
HOPE IT WILL
PUSH OTHER
VERMONT CITIES
TO JOIN IN.

Burlington mayor, police chief want 'sanctuary city' status

Burlington's mayor and police chief agree that they want to make it a "sanctuary city" to help worried immigrant populations

The mayor of Burlington said he wants to make it a "sanctuary city" to help worried immigrant populations, joining other mayors who say they plan to do all they can to protect residents from deportation.

Republican President-elect Donald Trump has said that he'd strip federal funding from cities that have policies to shelter or protect immigrants in the country illegally.

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Democratic Mayor Miro Weinberger said his city's intention is to keep following the practices of not asking about immigration status when providing municipal services.

He said he wants immigrants to know they are living in the same Burlington today as they were before Election Day.

Weinberger said the city is not going to turn Burlington police and city officials into deputies of the federal government.

He said he wants Burlington to be considered a welcoming and inclusive city for people of all backgrounds.

Weinberger said he will work with the city council to formalize its practices and turn them into new policies.

Police Chief Brandon del Pozo said he agreed with the mayor's position.

"People worried the local police are looking to deport them will hesitate to help us apprehend criminals and get services to victims," del Pozo said.

He said the policy makes victims and witnesses more likely to report crimes and cooperate with investigations.

"We want to continue the relationship of trust we've built with the people who need our protection by locally emphasizing crime fighting over immigration issues," he said.

Members of Migrant Justice in Burlington appreciate the steps that city officials are taking.

"It's a message of hope in the middle of a lot of stuff is happening and it reminds us that a lot more cities need to be doing this," Abel Luna said. "We need to, as citizens, stand behind the mayor and support him ."

Another acknowledges that regardless of steps the city is taking, they will continue to struggle with Trump as president.

"Our work will be to continue our struggle for our rights, the one that we have been doing for so many years," Roger Balcazar, translated by Brendan O’Neill, said. "With that, we will be changing the way that people think and even the way he thinks. Trump that is."